Fights and Fundraisers
by GardenSmurf
Summary: Lauren and Bo are on a break and Lauren doesn't want to talk. Bo is going crazy and then Kenzi comes up with a plan... Takes place around season 3-ish
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : This fic is a Gardenhead904 & happysmurpf collaboration for the ClubDoccubus auction. We don't own anything. Not even the plot, which was supplied by Bo-Anna.

We hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 1**

Lauren stepped into her shoes and looked at herself in the mirror one more time. It had been a long time since she'd had an occasion to wear a cocktail dress. Nowadays she was more the lab-chic type. She rolled her eyes at her silly attempt at being witty and tried being objective instead. Lauren could admit she looked okay in her black dress, good even. Black definitely suited her. Her hair looked good too, she had put it up, meticulously arranged to flatter her long neck. Diamond earrings and a simple, but elegant, silver necklace set the ensemble off. She stared at herself in the mirror and straightened, no doubt an unconscious nod to her mother's countless lectures on good posture. Lauren sighed; yeah, she still knew how to do this.

Satisfied that she looked the part, her attention turned back to tonight's fundraiser, the culmination of just one short month of planning. Trying to secure a venue on such a short notice was, to say the least, a challenge. She had to get the most expensive invitations from the printer and send them out. This was followed by the drama over the dinner. Deciding on the menu would have been much easier if her mother hadn't called every other day with new demands disguised as suggestions. Then there was the trial of hiring the best caterer. She remembered that particular ordeal with abject horror and she still couldn't get the taste of tripe out of her mouth.

Lauren looked at the clock, afraid she had taken too long getting ready. She still had to call "Vinny's Ice Designs and Centerpieces" again about the stupid ice sculptures. They should have been here ages ago and unless the truck was just around the corner, it would be too late and they would have to do without. That was just _not_ an option, not with this crowd. She dialed the number and was sent straight to voice mail. For a moment she couldn't decide if she wanted to cry or laugh hysterically. So she opted for something completely different, making idle threats and comparing Vinny and his staff to barnyard animals. Not that it would do much good, but at least it made her feel a little better. She smiled in surprise, holy Einstein; that was great. She should have done that the first time she called them.

She had spent her day dealing with far too many little details about this and that, things she knew should have been taken care of days or even weeks ago. The florist, the caterer, the entertainment, everyone had last minute changes and tiny issues they wanted her to have an opinion about. For a little while, it even seemed the damn "red" carpet would be a light turquoise one because there was some mix-up about measurements. The guy who called to tell her about it acted like it would be no big deal and it really was a lovely color. But for the red carpet, seriously?

On the other hand, that really would have pissed her mother off.

She was still mad that she had let her mother talk her into arranging this shindig. If it hadn't been for the sincere expression on her face when she told Lauren that it would be in benefit of the Canadian blue-grey tail dropper slug, she would have thought her mother was pulling her leg. Lauren had actually always suspected that little oddity might be an undocumented species of underfae. Still, couldn't it at least have been something big and non-creepy? Like the Okapi? She knew that one to be endangered in Congo. But oh no, the cream of Canada's elite wanted to save a damn blue mollusk, alrighty then.

"Just a few people," her mother had said, "nothing overly elaborate. I'm sure it will be nothing you can't manage, Lauren. I would do it myself but we have to get ready for the Garden club's annual charity auction. I couldn't possibly take any time away from that right now." Lauren scoffed, as if that woman _ever_ did anything herself.

Everything is easy when you have someone else to do it for you, and Lauren's mother _always_ had someone else to do everything for her. The woman never had to work a day in her life and understood very little of the concept of employment and wage. But she was excellent at putting other people to work. It was a family trait, as her dad was no better. Fortunately, Lauren hadn't been blessed with that lack of caring. Still, she supposed it had certainly served her family well ever since her great-grandfather Lewis had seen the potential of this new land called America and relocated from England. There were new resources to exploit and new people to bust their backs building someone else's fortunes. He had taken full advantage of this: buying land, building his industry, his empire.

Lauren looked at the clock again and sighed. People would start arriving soon. Her parents were probably here already, making her dread going downstairs. Lauren considered herself a competent, grown up woman but nevertheless, her mother could still bring out the insecure, snarky teenager in her full force. It was embarrassing.

Her father had no clue what went on between them. Or maybe he just didn't care? Neither of her parents were the nurturing kind, but he seemed the more elusive of the two. His role in her life had been to hand her an envelope with money in it on the celebration of some milestone or holiday. He did hug her once, at her graduation from Yale, she even had the proof captured on film.

This night just had to be perfect. She absolutely did not want her mother or anyone else to be able to put a finger on one single flaw, real or perceived.

Lauren didn't know why she should care. As far as she knew, nothing she'd ever done had pleased her parents. She did exceptionally well in school but never received much acknowledgement. She went to Yale at fifteen, graduated top of her class in both her undergrad and med school. She even spent a year as a volunteer doctor with the Red Cross in Afghanistan, and still nothing. After that, her father, seeing that this doctor business wasn't just a phase, offered to buy her a partnership in one of New York City's premier plastic surgery practices. So instead of her continuing with her relief work, he had basically wanted to render her life meaningless, sucking the fat and lifting the boobs of every trophy wife in Manhattan.

Lauren had said thanks, but no thanks, and joined Doctors Without Borders instead. By doing so, she had practically turned her back on everything her parents had wanted for her, including some well-bred suitors they thought would be just perfect for her. And though they hadn't exactly given her an ultimatum when she left for Congo with 'that _Nadia_ ,' it was more or less understood that she couldn't count on their support anymore, should she ever need it.

She still wondered why her mother had called her after all these years. Lauren had been surprised and happy that they wanted to extend their condolences with Nadia's death, to ask how she was and why she hadn't gone to the funeral. Maybe they had finally moved on and accepted that Lauren did not want the same life they wanted for her? Yeah right, that was funny; she hadn't been that naïve in a long time. Maybe they felt old and hoped she could give them some grandchildren? Maybe one of them needed a kidney? But whatever the reason was, she hadn't asked and her parents hadn't brought it up yet. Nor had they mentioned the years of no contact, thank god. As long as they didn't talk about it, she wouldn't have to explain anything. For all she cared at the moment, they could think it was her choice. It's not like she could tell them about the fae anyway. Or about Bo, not that she could think about her either right now.

Lauren took a deep breath to calm herself. She really had to go down now; she was the hostess after all. With one last look in the mirror, she left her room and descended the stairs very carefully. Heels were not her forte, and the last thing she wanted was to start the night off somersaulting down the big curved staircase and landing in the punchbowl. It was time to get this mess over with.

Meanwhile, across town…

"Come on Bo Bo, let's show some enthusiasm." Kenzi flitted behind the succubus, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving a firm shake. "You've been moping around for weeks that Lauren won't see you, talk to you, do your laundry or whatever it is you kids get up too that required I buy industrial strength, noise reducing headphones. Well, tonight, here's your chance."

Bo sighed heavily, taking one last glance at herself in her bedroom mirror before turning around to face her overly excited bestie. "I do want to see Lauren. I _need_ to see Lauren, but this," she gestured down at her outfit, "is not exactly what I had planned." Bo fidgeted with the buttons on her waistcoat as Kenzi leaned in to straighten her bowtie. She offered a tight smile, this was so fucking stupid. And yet, here she was, posing as a server at Lauren's snooty party for people with more money than God. All just to get a little facetime with her girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, or whatever the fuck they actually were that she apparently wasn't privy to since Lauren refused to talk to her. Granted the woman had asked for space, but this was getting ridiculous. It was going on six damn weeks since their 'break' and the last three had been complete radio silence. Not even a lousy, "Yes, I am still alive," text had Bo at her limit.

Kenzi snapped her fingers, her patience wearing thin, "Look here, I've gone to an awful lot of trouble to set this gig up."

"Kenzi, you made two phone calls."

Ignoring her, Kenzi continued, "Calling in favor upon favor, tracking down your wayward girlfriend, and now I totes be putting my new shoes on the line in this over starched monkey suit to work this entire evening with you so you aren't stuck in Snobsville all alone."

"I don't think hiding out in the kitchen and eating all of the food on your serving tray counts as work."

"That happened one time and you are never going to let me forget it, rude." Kenzi huffed with mock indignation, "If you are going to be so ungrateful I can just go to the Dal where my charms will be appreciated."

"Okay Kenzi, I'm sorry." Bo shook her head, was this really what she had been reduced to? They couldn't even get a cooler cover than fucking tray holding, fake-smiling, "Would you like some more champagne, sir?" servers, ugh. At a charity event, no less, which meant no tips. And what the fuck was a Canadian blue-grey tail dropper slug anyway, and why the fuck were these Richie McRichersons trying to save something that looked like a wannabe Smurf penis? This was, of course, not the point of the evening, the point was Lauren. She needed to remember that above all else, it was Lauren and this may be her last chance. She smiled at her bestie, "Thank you for tonight, alright? I really do appreciate you setting it up and the sacrifice." And Bo really meant it.

Kenzi puffed out her chest, satisfied, "Well it's about time." She looked over her bestie, her mood turning serious, "Now on to the important stuff, what are you going to say when you see the ever so elusive doc tonight?"

Bo shrugged, "Hello or hi, that's as far as I have gotten."

"Babe, I know it's been rough, but it's just Lauren."

"Yeah, Lauren looking perfect and poised in some crazy expensive cocktail dress while I'm hanging with the caterers." Bo motioned towards her reflection, "No wonder she can't take me seriously, I wouldn't take me seriously."

"You really think Lauren cares about that stuff?" Kenzi and Lauren had always had their differences, but recently Kenzi had turned a corner with the doc and though she still considered her a frost crotch with a stick up her ass on occasion, she had come to understand that Lauren was not terrible. And the woman really did love Bo, so there's that.

"She comes from money, Kenz, like libraries named after you, old-world money." Bo sighed, visibly frustrated. She didn't know why the money aspect bothered her so much, but it made her feel inadequate, like she wasn't good enough. Like she was the kind of girl Lauren would have a fling with one summer to piss off her parents before she goes back to the ivy leagues, ditching her in the gutter. "And besides, it's not just Lauren; her parents are going to be there, too."

"My sources couldn't confirm that."

Bo scoffed, "Kenzi, those people have the same last name and the woman looks exactly like Lauren only older, who else would they be?"

"I dunno, distant cousins, maybe?"

"Kenzi, be serious."

"Okay, so what if they are her parents?" Kenzi was blunt and in this moment Bo needed her to be. It was 30 minutes to zero hour, she needed Bo to get her shit together and stop letting Lauren call all of the shots. "The point of this little adventure is to get you and Lauren in the same place so you can hash out your relationship woes."

"And how are we exactly supposed to do that if Lauren is hosting this gala?"

Kenzi took a breath; this second guessing herself Bo was doing really needed to stop. "Oh please, you know how these things work. Everyone will be wandering around doing the meet and greet, no one will notice if you and Lauren slip away to a back room. Well, as long as you two keep the moaning and groaning to a minimum."

"I can't even think about sex right now." That was a lie; Bo had been picturing unzipping Lauren from her cocktail dress ever since she had thought about it earlier. Sadly, now was not the time for that.

"No, you're probably right. Lauren is going to be so pissed at you for crashing her party and making a scene, sex will be the last thing on her mind. Murder maybe, well probably, but definitely not bumping uglies."

"Kenzi!" Bo threw her hands up, what the fuck had she gotten herself into? This was all going to end badly, she just knew it. "See, I told you this was a dumb idea, Lauren is going to be livid."

Kenzi shrugged, it didn't matter now anyway. Time was up and they needed to get going, "So let her be angry, at least you will be talking and that's more than you've got now."

Bo just shook her head and sighed, there was nothing really to say. Kenzi was right, an angry Lauren was better than no Lauren. And Bo was really not ready to live a life with no Lauren. She took a second to make sure her hair was in place, then followed Kenzi out of the room. Resigned, she knew there was no turning back now.


	2. Chapter 2

Lauren could hear the noises from the workmen setting up the ice sculptures as soon as she started down the stairs. Subconsciously she walked faster, forgetting all about her heels, as she wanted to give them a piece of her mind. This was so not okay. Had they been ten minutes later the guests would already be arriving. She stumbled slightly at the last step, but caught herself, barely avoiding crashing into her father's back.

"Hello Lauren. Gracious as ever, I see." Her mother smiled and leaned forward to give her a half hug and a peck on the cheek. She was apparently starting early with a glass of scotch firmly in her other hand.

"Mom, Dad."

She smiled at her dad, not really sure if she should shake his hand or how they did greetings nowadays. After all, this hug thing with her mom was new, but she settled for a nod and a smile.

"Lauren, you look very nice. So somber though. Did somebody die? A little color wouldn't kill you, you know."

"Why thank you, mom," she rolled her eyes at the obvious dig, but couldn't help smiling. Her mother really hadn't changed much in the years that had passed, "I wasn't going for the funeral look, but you never know what might happen before the night is over."

* * *

Bo and Kenzi tumbled through the service entrance, obviously late and each one emphatically blaming the other. Their boss for the evening, a tight faced woman with a severe bun, gave them an epic scowl and demanded to know which agency had sent them. "You two are late. I don't see your names on the list, which agency did you book through?

Bo stared daggers at Kenzi, who unfazed, covered for them with the resolve of a true con artist pulling a snobby sounding name out of her butt, "Uh, we're not from the agency. My uncle, Lyle Winterfeld, got us the job."

The woman maintained her expression, raising an eyebrow to convey her skepticism, "I wasn't aware anyone associated with the Winterfelds knew how to work."

"Oh you know, we're trying to earn a little extra for skiing at Vale since mummy and daddy are busy overpaying for Spencer's wedding at the Plaza."

The woman turned to her assistant, "Get me the guest list; I need to clear these two with Mr. Winterfeld." The assistant nodded and scurried off to rummage through the pile of papers on the desk in the outer office.

Bo stepped forward grabbing the woman's bare arm pulsing her influence, "Surely that's not necessary, is it?" The woman instantly softened, opening her mouth, but not really saying anything. "Don't you think we have honest faces and you clearly have your hands full?" The woman hummed in agreement, closing her eyes as pleasure coursed through her. Bo leaned into her, purring, "How about you just give us our assignments and we'll be out of your hair."

* * *

"Is everything ready?" Lauren's mother eyed a few of the wait staff now busily working to place vodka shots on the bases of the two big, slug-shaped ice sculptures before the guests arrived. "The ice sculptures are lovely. I would have had them delivered a bit earlier, of course."

"Oh, you know me; I like to live on the edge." Her mother glared at her, signaling that she was absolutely not amused. Lauren rolled her eyes again and sighed, "Yes, everything is ready, mom. I was here extra early to breathe down everybody's neck and micromanage everything. I'm sure you would have been proud."

"I do not do that, Lauren. Some people just need a little more supervision and motivation." Her mother sighed before continuing, "I assume you're here alone?"

"Except for you and dad and the staff of a gazillion, yes, I'm here alone."

"Must you make everything into a joke, Lauren? I was simply inquiring if my daughter was bringing a date."

Lauren was tempted to roll her eyes again at this pointed line of questioning, but was afraid they might get stuck. "No mother, I am here alone." It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her mother about Bo, if for no other reason than she wouldn't have to play twenty questions about her love life later. Thankfully, before she could summon the words, the sound of the outer door opening caused a much needed distraction and both women turned their attention toward the sound of voices. It was time to get their schmooze on.

* * *

Bo stood behind the bar getting the lay of the land, so to speak. She frowned, all of her effort was for naught, her view of the party was obstructed. "Kenzi, you are going to have to be my eyes, I can't see past the damn ice sculptures."

Kenzi set her serving tray on the bar with a deliberate thump and sighed loudly, "Well maybe you should have chi sucked the boss lady until she gave you a table down front."

"Do we have a problem?"

"Yeah, way to keep things low pro, what if someone had seen that crazy Agent Orange love touch shit?"

Bo leaned forward, "Keep your voice down, and besides if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had to use my succubus on her. What happened to you calling in a thousand favors, and this was all arranged, don't worry about a thing, Bo Bo?"

"Did I say that?"

"Yeah, you did." Bo began filling the tray with champagne flutes; they had to at least try to look the part. This evening was not off to a good start; lying their way in, stuck tending bar off in Timbuktu, and still no sign of Lauren.

"Well, I mean I tried, but it was so last minute…"

"So you figured what, we would just show up dressed as waiters to the social event of the season and nobody would notice?" Bo shoved the tray towards Kenzi, "Get out there and serve the champagne."

"I'm going, I'm going."

Bo watched as Kenzi picked up the tray and almost fell over. She cringed as she waited for the inevitable crash, but thankfully Kenzi righted herself and shrugged it off. Bo sighed to herself, "This is never going to work."

* * *

Half an hour later when everyone had arrived and were mingling and drinking champagne, Lauren took the opportunity to catch her breath for a moment in solitude behind the giant marble staircase. She sighed and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax a little for the first time today. If only there was a way she could slip away unnoticed…

"Lauren, darling?!"

So much for solitude, her mother's far too cheery voice was heard over the buzz of voices. For a brief moment, she considered staying in hiding, but chances were her mom would find her sooner or later. Instead, she downed her glass of champagne and stepped out of the shadows with a smile.

"Oh, there you are darling." She gripped Lauren's elbow and practically dragged her towards a busty brunette in a green dress. "I want you to meet the daughter of an old friend of ours. Louisa Sutcliffe. You remember the Sutcliffes, don't you? Her mother and I are both members of the Wildlife Preservation Committee."

Oh God, who were the Sutcliffes? Lauren smiled at the luscious brunette and frantically tried to remember.

"We used to see the Sutcliffes at Martha's Vineyard when you were a child. Oh, you do remember their youngest daughter, Louisa? She is around your age, and single. I'm sure you must have met?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Lauren lied. "Ms. Sutcliffe, how are you?" She took the woman's hand and smiled her best fake smile. She reminded herself that tonight was about the money and she could pretend with the best of them.

"Please, call me Louisa." She smiled brightly and placed her hand on Lauren's forearm.

"Oh, there's the De Beauchamps, excuse me please." Her mother offered a quick wave to someone across the room and hurried away.

Lauren turned back towards the woman she had been thrust upon, the woman who still had her hand on her arm. Nonplussed, the woman leaned in maintaining contact, "So tell me Dr. Lewis, are you particularly interested in the blue-grey tail dropper slug?"

* * *

The party was in full swing by the time Kenzi made her way back to the bar. Bo was practically going nuts not being able to be involved with the action. She barely let Kenzi set down her tray before bombarding her with questions, "Did you see Lauren? Did she see you? Does she look amazing? I bet she looks amazing. What is she wearing?"

"Damn Bo Bo, cool your jets. Yes, I saw Lauren and no, she didn't see me."

"And?"

Kenzi hesitated, "She looked uh, fine. Great, even."

"Kenzi?"

"It's nothing, Bo Bo." Kenzi shrugged, trying to downplay the situation as much as possible. The last thing they needed was to have Bo go hard charging through the party ready to cut a bitch. "I saw Lauren talking to this woman and it looked like they knew each other."

Bo was incensed, "So they were flirting?"

"Uh, I don't know, maybe." Kenzi tried to recover, but it was too late, "I'm sure it meant nothing."

"That's it!" Bo made her way out from behind the bar and grabbed the half-filled tray.

"Bo Bo, what are you doing?"

"We're swapping. Go play bartender for awhile." With that, Bo walked away into the crowd to find her girl. It didn't take long to spot Lauren looking fucking amazing and standing way too close to some snooty brunette. Bo tried to rein in her temper, but once the woman had the temerity to put her hand on Lauren's arm, she was lost to the fray. She butted herself between the two, ignoring a stunned Lauren, simply asking, "Would either of you ladies care for some  
champagne?

* * *

"Would either of you ladies care for some champagne?" Bo asked again and thrust the tray at Louisa, pushing her away from Lauren in the process.

"Bo?" Lauren was instantly pulled from her boring conversation with Louisa and was so floored she could hardly get the words out, "What... What are you doing here?"

"Do you know this person?" Louisa asked confused, looking at Bo like she was something stuck under her shoe. While Bo was looking at Louisa like she was ready to pounce.

Lauren shook off her fog and grabbed Bo by the arm. "I'm sorry Louisa, please excuse us. Give my best to your parents." She offered a quick apology as she searched for an escape route. Spying a refuge, she pulled Bo away from the banquet hall towards the empty conference rooms. She hoped they had soundproofing because she was not in the mood to be quiet.


	3. Chapter 3

None too gently, Lauren dragged Bo through the door of the first room they reached. Using more self-control, than she ever thought she possessed, she resisted the urge to slam the door, instead closing it quietly behind them, dimming the music and chatter of the party.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Lauren snapped furiously. What was Bo thinking coming here? Oh, of course, she wasn't thinking. She was just doing whatever the hell she wanted, like always.

"I just- I needed to see you." Bo took a step back, trying to put some distance between herself and a fuming Lauren.

"And you chose to show up here and embarrass me. Are you kidding me!? Here, of all places!?" Lauren took a step forward, not sure if she wanted to slap Bo or kiss her. Torn, she threw up her hands in frustration, "Why the hell couldn't you just lurk outside my house like a normal crazy stalker?"

It was Bo's turn to be frustrated, what had Lauren expected? She was not the kind of person who was going to sit back and do nothing, and if Lauren had asked for a break to shake things up between them, well mission accomplished. "What am I supposed to do? For fucks sake, I wanted to talk with you and you- you won't even answer my texts. I didn't know what else to do! Gahhh, you are so frustrating!"

"No, Bo! You know who's frustrating? You are! I told you I need space but you have been calling me nonstop for weeks! That's not exactly 'space'. What is it you don't understand!?" She turned away from her lover, trying to rein in her emotions. It wasn't fucking working, she was too furious.

"Shit! I knew this would be a bad idea." Bo silently damned Kenzi, she should have known better than listen to her.

"Then why are you here?" Lauren demanded as she turned back towards Bo. "Oh, don't tell me, this was Kenzi's idea!?"

"Well... uh, yeah, sort of." Bo didn't want to throw Kenzi under the bus, but Kenzi wasn't here right now and Lauren was scary angry. Coming to this event had been monumentally stupid on her part, but what else was she supposed to do? Bo feared if she waited much longer, she would lose Lauren forever and she could not let that happen.

"Of course," Lauren sighed, she was hardly surprised; this entire scheme reeked of their little tandem. "I should have known. Even you wouldn't have been this thoughtless on your own."

"She was just trying to help! I was kind of desperate." Bo was losing any composure she had. Lauren had a lot of nerve getting down on her and Kenzi, looking all primped and perfect in her eight thousand dollar dress. Who the fuck did she think she was? "What the fuck is this thing anyway? Who are all these people? And who the fuck was that woman you were all up on!?"

"Dammit Bo, are you serious right now?" Lauren couldn't believe it, but Bo's look said she was exactly that. "You should know what this is," she motioned to Bo's waitress ensemble, "you're supposed to be working here aren't you? These are my parents and some of their friends and associates."

"Your parents, sure, what do you take me for?" Bo was pissed that she didn't know Lauren had this whole other life.

"Yes, my parents!" Lauren hissed, "Do you think I'm making this up?"

"That doesn't answer my question; who was that woman?" Whoever she was, Bo knew she had been more than casually interested in Lauren. Way, way more. That bitch's hand on Lauren's arm, she had just wanted to wipe that stuck-up smile off her face. She took a step towards Lauren, so they were face to face. "Well, you certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself. That woman was all over you. Who is she, some slug aficionado?"

"Wow – You're jealous?" Had Bo gone insane? How many times had Lauren caught her flirting or worse? "She's just somebody my mom introduced me to. I don't even remember her name." This was unbelievable and Bo had no right to even ask. "And why does it matter to you if she found me attractive? People are all over you all the time!"

"But that's... different!" Bo lacked words. Gods, this was infuriating! And dammit, why did Lauren have to be so hot? She could feel her eyes flash blue for a second. She blinked and backed away before she could get carried away, then changed the subject. "So, your parents, huh?" She scoffed, "Add them to the list of things you never told me about."

"What! What's that supposed to mean? It's hardly a secret that I have parents. I haven't talked with them in years, so there's nothing much to tell."

"You could have told me that! Or anything!" Bo sighed; she had always felt like Lauren held back, never offering any personal information freely. "So, what's the deal with them anyway, are they Rockefellers or something?" Even stuck in the back with the servants, Bo could practically smell the money in the room. It made her feel really uncomfortable and she hated that.

"No, not exactly." Lauren answered shortly and turned away, "Just old world money, new world industry." She really didn't want to discuss her parents with Bo. People always assumed certain things about her when they found out about her background and it annoyed her to no end. "And money isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"I guess I'll have to take your word on that."

"What about you, Bo? How much do you tell me about your past? Or your present for that matter?" She looked expectantly at Bo, but it was clear she wasn't going to get an answer. "No? I didn't think so."

Bo ignored Lauren's question, instead returning to her original point of contention, "No, of course I know you have parents and that's not really the point. You never let me in, it's like you ever only let me see the things you want me to see. You're so distant."

"I'm distant because you push me away! We never see each other Bo unless it's convenient for you!"

"I do not! I go out of my way to include you." Bo slammed her fist down on the table beside her, cracking it down the middle, "It's like you have changed or something, do you even trust me anymore?"

" _Include me_? Are you joking? You never include me unless you need my help. I never know what the hell you are doing, Bo! How do you want me to tell about myself when you're never there?" Lauren groaned; she'd be lucky to make it through the rest of this conversation without killing her girlfriend. "And if anyone has changed, it's you. I feel like I don't even know you anymore. You're always, I don't know, off doing your own thing."

"How can you say we don't spend enough time together when you are the one who asked for a fucking break? We haven't even seen each other in 6 fucking weeks!?" Bo was livid. This was total bullshit, Lauren was the one who cut them off and now she had the nerve to complain that they never see each other, what the fuck!?

"Yes, I _know_ I asked for it. I'm talking about before the break." She looked at Bo as she suddenly realized what Bo had said, "What do you mean, I don't trust you?"

"Oh, the little detail about the girlfriend in a coma; why you are working for the Fae in the first place." She looked at Lauren accusingly, Bo knew it was wrong to dredge this up again, but she couldn't help herself. "I felt like such an idiot being blindsided by the Morrigan like that. I thought we had something, you and I, and then I find out the whole time you have a secret girlfriend!"

"We already talked about this!" Lauren could feel her anger rising to the surface once more, why was Bo bringing this up again? "We did have something. Or, I hoped we could be something more. I am sorry I didn't tell you about Nadia but it's not easy to tell something like that, okay? I didn't know how!"

"Why the fuck does everybody keep secrets from me?" Bo pushed the broken table away and began furiously pacing back and forth; this was just all too much. "Dyson! Trick! You! You all keep treating me like a child! Even after all this time. And please don't say it wasn't your secret to tell or it's for my own good or some bullshit like that."

"But it _was_ for your own good! You would have run to the Ash threatening to cut his throat if he didn't let me out of the agreement. You had no clue about Fae politics Bo, and in some ways, you still don't."

"There you go again, not giving me credit! What did you think I was going to do, storm the Ash's compound and challenge him to a duel?"

"Yes, Bo I did think you would, and that's _exactly_ what you did with Lachlan when you found out I recommitted to him!" Christ! Not giving her credit? Lauren gave Bo exactly the credit she deserved. Bo was the most stubborn, frustrating person she had ever met.

Bo stood there mouth agape as an awkward silence stretched out between them. How had Lauren found out about that? The memories of her sword fight with Lachlan washed over her, visions of her defending Lauren's honor and being her hero. She had believed that Lauren would've been so grateful that she would forget about Nadia and return to her with open arms. Sure, it hadn't gone exactly as planned, but still the effort was made. "Do you expect me to just sit around doing nothing? If I can help, I'm damn sure going to!"

Lauren sighed and counted to ten, they were arguing in circles and she was beyond over it, "I know you mean well Bo, but that is not always enough and nothing is ever as simple as you want it to be. Things aren't black and white."

"I just don't know what you want from me?"

"I want you to stop trying to be my hero, Bo. I'm not a damsel in distress. I just want you to be my girlfriend!"

"I am being your girlfriend!"

"Seriously, when was the last time we spent time together that didn't revolve around your latest case?" Lauren felt deflated, how was Bo so damn oblivious? "Every time we have a date, something comes up, and you run off with Dyson or Kenzi. You and I only get time together when you want sex or need something medical."

"But why didn't you tell me sooner!?"

"I did!" How could Bo claim to be her girlfriend when she never paid her any attention? "I tried! You didn't even notice because everything is always about you. There is always something you really want to do, some exciting case that takes priority over us!"

"I just don't know what this break is supposed to be. What do you even mean by 'space'? I just don't get it!"

"Yeah, I noticed." Lauren sighed. Maybe this break had been a bad idea, but she had been at the end of her rope. "When I asked for the break everything was just too much. It's not just about you, Bo. So many things have happened these last few years. Nadia. The Garuda. The Fae. You. I was falling apart and I needed space. Some time to think about myself instead of everybody else. I thought- you said you understood?"

"I want to understand." And Bo really did, she just didn't. How was being apart supposed to bring them together, it felt like such a farce. "You know how much you mean to me but – what do you want me to do? Shit keeps happening and somehow I always end up in the middle of it."

"And yet, the last 3 weeks you've managed to phone me a gazillion times! When we were together, you couldn't even call to cancel a date! How do you think that makes me feel?" Lauren knew this was really the crux of the problem; Bo only started acting like a girlfriend since the break. "You took me for granted, Bo. You only made me a priority after I put us on a break. If you had spent just a little bit of all this time and energy on us when we were together, we'd probably be fine!"

"So it's all my fault then?"

"That's not what I meant."

"What are you saying then?"

"I'm saying you need to figure out if you really want to be in this relationship with me or not?" Lauren needed to put all of her cards on the table, because as much as they may love each other, it was the end of the line for them. "You have to make me a priority and we have to communicate. I'm not a mind reader."

"What do you want Lauren? It's not just about me, is it? Do you think we should break up?" Bo felt cold, small, and defeated. This couldn't be the end for them, she couldn't lose Lauren.

"No!" Lauren was absolutely not ready to say goodbye to this woman, they had to try. They just had to. If Bo was willing to stop putting Lauren last, maybe it could work. Lauren took a step forward, wrapping Bo in her arms, "I love you, Bo. I want you. I want all those things you talked about the first time we kissed; the house, the kids, the picket fence, the normal life."

"I want those things too, Lauren, with you." Bo let the tears fall as Lauren embraced her. As much as this day had hurt, she knew they weren't done. "So what do we do now?"

"You figure out what you want and tell me."

"That's it?"

"That's it." Lauren pulled back and smiled, "Well that, and then we keep talking." She didn't know if that would be enough, she wanted it to be, but there were no guarantees. She hoped, and with the way she felt about Bo, it was worth another shot. "You have to know this won't be like it was before. I'm not going to settle for last, Bo."

"I know," Bo nodded as she wiped her eyes and smiled. She was determined; she would not fuck things up again. She loved Lauren to much for that. And looking into her brown eyes, the reality of what she could have lost hit her fully. Bo loved this woman like crazy, she should always be first. If she was being offered another chance, she was not going to squander it. Bo smirked as she let her eyes trace Lauren's body; she knew exactly what she wanted and was not going to waste another second, "I know what I want, Lauren."

"Oh and what is that?"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Although there is plenty more for Bo and Lauren to say and do this is the last chapter from our hands. Thanks for the reads and the comments and support. Also a huge thanks to Bo-Anna for the prompt and her donations to Club Doccubus.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Oh, and what is that?"

Lauren's question hung between them for a brief second before Bo pounced. Hands in hair, lips and teeth everywhere, Bo assaulted with a fervor as if she wanted to make up for the last six weeks in one go. Lauren put up her hands in the briefest of protests and gasped, "We can't Bo... there are 200 people outside..." before giving herself over to it, wrapping her arms tight around Bo's neck. She wanted Bo just as bad and had ever since she had spotted her in that ridiculous server's uniform.

Bo turned her around, pushing her against the wall. "Really? You want me to stop?" She whispered against Lauren's ear, before she kissed along the nape of her neck.

"Ohhh Gods, no. No, don't stop." Any thoughts about the event or the people outside vanished with the feel of Bo's warm hands on her hips and her expert mouth never leaving Lauren's skin as she unzipped her dress and pulled the straps down off her shoulders.

Not to be outdone, Lauren pushed back, turning around to face her as she let her dress drop to the floor. Bo's eyes flashed a brilliant blue, her mouth watering with desire. Now it was Lauren's turn to pounce. Bo's constricting waistcoat quickly discarded, she wasted no time relieving Bo of her simple white shirt, scattering buttons to all four corners of the room.

Bo let Lauren steer the ship as she felt her back hit the cool varnished wood of the conference room table. Bo's eyes rolled back and she let out a cry as her bra was pushed up and a hot mouth found her nipple. Any thoughts of being quiet had long ago left their conscious minds as the two women gave into hot, slick desire.

* * *

Kenzi had stood behind the bar for all of thirty seconds before abandoning her post to watch the action. Not surprisingly, Lauren had caused some commotion as she dragged Bo from the party. Quite a few heads had glanced in their direction and then quickly returned to whomever they had been conversing with. As the sounds of a heated argument began to filter out through the closed door even more heads turned with interest. Gossip and intrigue was part of the game and a good scandal was always nice.

Kenzi scrambled to run interference with the spectators milling about by literally shoving her tray at them in an attempt to bribe them with beverages. Once the shouting started, not even the allure of overpriced champagne could pull them away. They stood salivating over each crash and muffled curse. Whatever was going on behind that door, Kenzi hoped her bestie would come out on top, but she wasn't hedging any bets. This was bad, like Trick's troll on the loose bad. And it was about to get worse. As the crowd started to grow, she noticed Lauren's mother approaching to see what all of the fuss was about.

"Fuck me, the mothership!"

"You there."

Lauren's mother was looking directly at her and Kenzi knew she was caught, but she still hesitated, opting to play dumb, "Who, me?"

The women narrowed her eyes. She was not one to be trifled with and Kenzi knew it. "Yes, you. Why are you standing around guarding the door? What is going on in there?"

Kenzi cringed as something crashed behind her. She thought it was pretty obvious what was going on but at least the question gave her an opportunity to drag things out. "Uh, what door?" She quickly glanced around stalling for time before settling, "Oh, _that_ door."

"Yes, that door." Lauren's mother raised her eyebrows pinning Kenzi with an icy stare.

Well, at least now Kenzi knew where Lauren got her Dr. Freeze persona. It took all of her strength not to cave in and open the door but she stood her ground and changed tactics, "Oh, just a problem with the electrical system, ma'am. Champagne?" Kenzi plastered on her best fake smile as she literally shoved the tray at her.

"I don't have time for games. I saw my daughter go in there with someone, now I demand to know who it is."

"Maybe it was the maintenance person, ma'am," She knew the woman would never buy it; she just hoped to buy Bo a brief respite before her girlfriend's mom broke down the door. Judging by the look on her face, those two needed to argue at the speed of light.

"I will ask you again, who is that in there with my daughter?"

"Uh, I don't…" Kenzi had run out of ideas so she just stood still, half expecting the woman to push her out of the way. Short of decking her, there wasn't much left Kenzi could do.

"Fine, I'm going to get your supervisor." With one final, contemptuous look at Kenzi, Lauren's mother turned and walked away while she considered her options. At this point, she could only try to do some damage control. If her daughter insisted on making a scandal, at least she would take no active part in it.

Kenzi watched Lauren's mom walk off in a huff saying a silent prayer as the angry shouts had suddenly given way to the voracious moaning and groaning that she knew all too well. Apparently they had worked their shit out enough to fuck. Kenzi would be pleased for her girl if there weren't about twenty people staring at her and snickering. She tried to play it cool as the moans reached a crescendo, but couldn't hide the second hand embarrassment when she heard a loud crash and more muffled cursing.

A few moments later, the door creaked open and a truly guilty looking Bo slinked out. The crowd pretended to look away as the disheveled woman hastily buttoned her waistcoat and tucked in her ruined shirt. Kenzi shook her head watching Lauren follow her out, looking like a hot mess. Her dress was all wrinkled; her make-up smeared and there would be no fixing that hair. Kenzi stalked over to them, barely containing her smirk, "Well, don't you two look the sight."

"Lauren!"

The crowd snickered as Lauren's mother came up to them. True to her word, she had Bo and Kenzi's scowling boss in tow. Bo looked at her shoes, desperately in search of a hole to crawl into, but Lauren was having none of it. Emboldened by the new parameters she had set in her relationship or the endorphins from the multiple orgasms she'd just experienced, she couldn't even remember why she had been so worried about everything.

She grabbed Bo's hand and led her to the spot her mother was standing, "Hi, mom." She smiled brightly as she motioned to the woman beside her, "I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Bo."

Fin


End file.
